FILM(S) MONITORED
DREAMGIRLS

Happy Kwanzaa!  Happy Holidays!

The monitor of the film(s) listed above is farther down in this eNewsletter.   We can tell you, however, that overall we were pleased with “Dreamgirls” and recommend it.   Jennifer Hudson definitely stole the show.   Beyonce Knowles is a hard and diligent worker and did her thing, but Jennifer had the edge.   Eddie Murphy, Jamie Foxx, Danny Glover carry their roles very well too.   The film dealt with life in general and even touched on the well known pay-for-play (payola) and the racist crossover tactics commonly used in the music business.   Based on different stories we’ve read about the film, not surprisingly there’s some controversy regarding the original Broadway production team as well as whether or not it’s really based on the Supremes.   Additionally, according to a Jet magazine (12-25-06) article, Jennifer Holliday states she co-wrote “I Am Changing,” but she’s not credited as a writer on the CD, which we purchased.   Here’s a Los Angeles Times article where Holliday discusses feeling “swept aside” and Sheryl Lee Ralph, who originated the Deena Jones roles, weighs in on the 1981 Broadway production (which won six Tony awards in 1982) and the 2006 movie version of “Dreamgirls”:   LA Times - Jennifer Holliday

Both Jennifers do an excellent job on “the” song, but Jennifer Holliday’s original version has the edge.   Even if you’re not the type of male or female to try to force someone to stay and love you, you feel the pain, desperation, and passion coming through her performance of the song – and considering she did this solo and live for eight shows per week for nearly four years is just remarkable.   Following is the live 1982 Tony Award show footage from Holliday.   In this video also is Loretta Devine, who is the only one of the original cast members to make an appearance in the film:   Jennifer Holliday – 1982 Tony Awards Performance

INTERESTING WEB SITES/LINKS/ARTICLES OF THE DAY :

For more information on Kwanzaa – its purpose and celebration – please go to the official site by its creator Maulana Karenga:   Kwanzaa Web Site

With the constant and relentless media attacks and misrepresentations of Blacks, we’ve been trying to find a way to use this inspiring national Black anthem sung by Nina Simone for quite some time.   Somehow we stumbled upon this gem and recently added it as a permanent link to our site:   “To Be Young Gifted and Black.”   Should this video link suddenly disappear or become inaccessible, here are the lyrics:   To Be Young Gifted and Black Lyrics.   And as Simone sings:   “To be young, gifted, and Black….Is where it’s at…Is where it’s at…Is where it’s at!”   Also, following is a small clip of a French documentary called “Nina Simone:   La Legende,” where she very plainly and very factually states about the violence in America in general, but particularly during the Civil Rights Movement:   “If I had my way, I’d have been a killer.”   From the 1960s portion of this video footage, a White man also states:   “The niggers that are giving you all the trouble, White folk, are the educated niggers,” which continues to explain the miseducation that permeates within the American educational system.   Here is the link:   Nina Simone Documentary Clip

It’s not too often that we put the homegoing of individuals, but due to his commitment to the Black struggle and his “Say it Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)” song, we thought it was fitting to give a farewell to James Brown.   He’s certainly had some personal issues to overcome but don’t we all?   Following are links to one of his Black power songs and a Democracy Now! Interview with Harry Allen sharing some stories about Brown and his background:

Say it Loud (I’m Black and I’m Proud)       Say It Loud Lyrics

Harry Allen on James Brown

Funeral information from EUR web:   James Brown Remembered

A small side note, we have found a wealth of information and video footage on YouTube.   Once we upgraded our system and could view and/or listen to the footage properly, we were momentarily YouTube fiends, hooked on searching for more, and, quite frankly, couldn’t get enough.   We even kind of understand why Google paid billions for it.   And for those individuals who take the time to download valuable material you have onto the system to share with everyone, thank you!   Of course, there’s a lot of “whatever” and those who’ve taken “creative” license and liberty with other people’s artistry on there too, but amongst that you can find a lot of useful stuff.   For our upcoming music monitor, we’ve found some rare, timeless, and classical videos, including these by Marvin Gaye from 1973 and 1983, respectively:   Gaye - 1983 and Gaye - 1973.   And you can also find:    Malcolm X - Oxford University.   And we thank playahata.com for sharing this long lost Michael Jackson’s banned song “They Don’t Care About Us” on its site:  

Lyrics                      Brazil Video              Prison Video  

Why was it banned you ask?   Because he used “kike me” and “Jew me.”   So why do so many executives in the industry allow “nigger/nigga” to be used so freely?   And it’s not about the entertainers because they’ll do what they’re told to do.   Something to seriously ponder, right?   So, at this point, we say get it and enjoy it while you can:   The YouTube World Opens An Untamed Frontier for Copyright Law.

Ward Connerly is still at it.   You’ve got to wonder what a man like him thinks about the centuries of Whites only affirmative action when Blacks weren’t allowed to attend colleges/universities, work in city/state/federal government offices, the great disparities and inequalities in what’s provided in the Black schools versus the White schools from then until now, and so on.   Anyway, here’s his plan to launch his anti-affirmative crusade in more states:   Connerly Gearing Up for Wider Crusade…

As we mentioned in BN-W #54 the conclusion of Part II:   Black-Jewish Relations will be included with our new bi-monthly Music Monitor.   As we also stated, we’ve got a lot of information, and, for that reason, until Part II comes out, we’ll be filtering stuff to you so it won’t be too overwhelming in the buildup to Part II’s conclusions.   Refer to BN-W #53/54 if you need a repeat of our feelings on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).  

We have some follow-up from the BN-W #72 on the Jimmy Carter book, “ Palestine:   Peace Not Apartheid”:  Jimmy Carter Letter and Carter Speaks A Simple Truth

David Duke, who’s a former KKK leader (so we know how he feels about Blacks), had an interesting interaction with Wolf Blitzer from CNN’s The Situation Room:  Duke and Blitzer on AIPAC, Zionism, Media Control, Iraq War

The AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) paper referenced was initially linked in BN-W #60, but here it is again:   The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy

If you missed any other BN-W monitors, just send an e-mail to bannword2@yahoo.com and request that it be sent to you.   As always, we highly encourage you to see these films for yourself and, if applicable, make your own judgment call on the N-word usage – appropriate/inappropriate? necessary/unnecessary? sensible/nonsensical? does it add to or take away from the film’s concept? does the N-word have to be used at all? is there a valid reason for doing so? is it mandatory for the scene(s) to be effective? what are the circumstances/situation that necessitate any use of the word? is it just thrown in for humor, fear, crime, insult? are other culturally insulting slang terms used as much as the N-word in the film?   Lots of questions and a whole lot of reasons to wonder what’s the real purpose and thought process behind why these entertainers, writers, directors, producers, executive producers, distributors, and studios/studio heads and executives give the “greenlight” for these crews to liberally use (or allow to be used) the N-word.

FEATURE FILM(S) :

D R E A M G I R L S

[Release Date:   12/25/06]

Starring Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy, Danny Glover; screenplay written by Bill Condon; directed by Bill Condon; produced by Laurence Mark; executive produced by Patricia Whitcher; studio – Dreamworks Pictures/Paramount Pictures
 

NOTE :   An enjoyable film about entertainment and life with a cast that’s in sync.

BN-W Monitor Coming Soon:  “Slow Burn” [LL Cool J, Ray Liotta]; “Pride” [Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Kimberly Elise]; “Home of the Brave” [Samuel L. Jackson, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson]

Also Coming :   Part II:   Black-Jewish Relations; Bi-Monthly Music Monitors